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Jan. 28th, 2026 09:51 am![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png){kind=small}
farsidecomics_feedPlaces never to set your electric eel.
farsidecomics_feedPlaces never to set your electric eel.
(no subject)
Jan. 28th, 2026 09:51 amfarsidecomics_feed"Did you detect something a little ominous in the way they said, ‘See you later’?"
(no subject)
Jan. 28th, 2026 09:51 amfarsidecomics_feed“Say, there’s something wrong here. … We may have to move shortly.”
(no subject)
Jan. 28th, 2026 10:58 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
galadhirA slight disadvantage to this belly dance thing is that I don't seem to enjoy much Egyptian music. I wish I knew where my Monday teacher gets her music from because I generally love her selection but I can't seem to find stuff I like by looking for it on my own. And I'm sure she has spent years building up her catalogue.
Perhaps that's the answer - spend years combing through music I don't really like much and by the time I've built up a library of my own I'll probably have learned to appreciate it better anyway.
Both the news and the weather continue awful
Jan. 31st, 2026 03:51 amconulyDo you know how hard it even is to get people to protest in this sort of crappy weather? It's cold out!
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( Read more... )
( Read more... )
Helen Burke, 5 June 1950 — 24 January 2026
Jan. 28th, 2026 09:39 amrmc28My aunt died on Saturday. The funeral will be in Australia, and streamed online. I am so grateful that technology allows this. It will be at midnight my time; I'm going to aim to be awake for it, but apparently there will be a recording if I don't manage to.
Donations are encouraged in her memory:
https://donate.strokefoundation.org.au/stroke-appeals
https://donate.stroke.org.uk/
And now is probably as good a time as any to remind you of the signs of a stroke and the importance of reacting FAST
Face weakness
Arm weakness
Speech problems
Time to call 999
Japan traffic counts, and McDonald's
Jan. 28th, 2026 06:24 pmmindstalkWas out on a walk, not particularly interesting, just getting out. I started counting traffic.
On a very boring two-way street some distance from the station, with little of pedestrian interest: 7 bicycles, 4 mopeds/motorbikes, 33 cars (and a bus or two). I did not formally count pedestrians, as there hardly were any at first, but it ended up feeling comparable to bicycles. Then I hit a street where there seemed to be a phase transition in traffic.
Same street, but now closer to the station: 25 pedestrians, 12 2-wheel vehicles of all types, 17 cars/buses/trucks.
3-way scramble intersection, very close to the station: 26 pedestrians to 9 cars; 28 pedestrians to 9 cars. (Two different light cycles.) Going the other direction, more casual count, but maybe 18 to 14. I note that much more signal time is given to moving the 9-14 cars than the 18-26+ pedestrians (plus non-counted sidewalking bicycles.)
Some internal counter tipped over to the point of trying McDonald's here. The menu is fairly different; no obvious equivalent to quarter-pounders; different flavors like teriyaki burger or shrimp burger. I tried a potato beef burger ("big beef" patty, potato patty) and shaka chicki (fried chicken fillet, and from the wrapping you're supposed to shake seasoning over it? But I didn't have any.) There was a messup and I was handed a simple bag of fries, which I discovered only at home. Went back (stole one fry; it smelled better than it tasted) to say "chigau!" and be glad I'd kept the receipt. Got my actual bag. It was... okay.
I note that if you're hungry Now, hot fast food from McDonald's or conbini has the advantage of coming in paper wraps. If you get nice cold snacks from conbini or supermarkets, it comes in a plastic tray. Given the total lack of public trash cans, the paper wraps are rather easier to stick into a pocket of your backpack. (Some conbini have trash cans, so you could eat there and throw it out -- but many don't!)
Dear Casefic Author
Jan. 27th, 2026 05:37 pmbeatrice_otterI use the same name everywhere so I am beatrice_otter on AO3. Treats are awesome.
I would rather get a story you were happy with than "well, she said she liked x, so I guess I have to do x even though I don't like x and/or am not inspired that way." This letter is long with lots of suggestions and preferences if you find it helpful, but feel free to ignore it if it is not helpful. I'm fairly easy to please; I've been doing ficathons for a long time and am usually very happy with my gifts.
The most important thing for me in a fic is that the characters are well-written and recognizably themselves. Even when I don't like a character, I don't go in for character-bashing. If nothing else, if the rest of this letter is too much or my kinks don't fit yours, just concentrate on writing a story with everyone in character and good spelling and grammar and I will almost certainly love what you come up with.
I have an embarrassment squick, which makes humor kind of hit-or-miss sometimes. The kind of humor where someone does something embarrassing and the audience is laughing at them makes me uncomfortable. On the other hand, the kind of humor where the audience is laughing with the characters I really enjoy.
( General Likes and Dislikes )
( Notorious (1946) )
( Enola Holmes movies )
( Elementary )
( Terminator: tSCC )
( Goblin Emperor )
( Peter Wimsey )
( Crossovers )
( Rivers of London )
( DS9 )
beatrice_otter on AO3. Treats are awesome.I would rather get a story you were happy with than "well, she said she liked x, so I guess I have to do x even though I don't like x and/or am not inspired that way." This letter is long with lots of suggestions and preferences if you find it helpful, but feel free to ignore it if it is not helpful. I'm fairly easy to please; I've been doing ficathons for a long time and am usually very happy with my gifts.
The most important thing for me in a fic is that the characters are well-written and recognizably themselves. Even when I don't like a character, I don't go in for character-bashing. If nothing else, if the rest of this letter is too much or my kinks don't fit yours, just concentrate on writing a story with everyone in character and good spelling and grammar and I will almost certainly love what you come up with.
I have an embarrassment squick, which makes humor kind of hit-or-miss sometimes. The kind of humor where someone does something embarrassing and the audience is laughing at them makes me uncomfortable. On the other hand, the kind of humor where the audience is laughing with the characters I really enjoy.
( General Likes and Dislikes )
( Notorious (1946) )
( Enola Holmes movies )
( Elementary )
( Terminator: tSCC )
( Goblin Emperor )
( Peter Wimsey )
( Crossovers )
( Rivers of London )
( DS9 )
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Hard Things
Jan. 28th, 2026 12:02 amysabetwordsmithLife is full of things which are hard or tedious or otherwise unpleasant that need doing anyhow. They help make the world go 'round, they improve skills, and they boost your sense of self-respect. But doing them still kinda sucks. It's all the more difficult to do those things when nobody appreciates it. Happily, blogging allows us to share our accomplishments and pat each other on the back.
What are some of the hard things you've done recently? What are some hard things you haven't gotten to yet, but need to do? Is there anything your online friends could do to make your hard things a little easier?
What are some of the hard things you've done recently? What are some hard things you haven't gotten to yet, but need to do? Is there anything your online friends could do to make your hard things a little easier?
I managed to walk out on the sheet of ice to my car
Jan. 27th, 2026 11:12 pmcornerofmadnessAnd there is about 6 inches of snow which is relatively less than we were expecting right? But there is a thick layer of sleet ice between the snow. Someone plowed the drive some but obviously not near the cars. It's a thick snowbank there and ontop my car is several inches inside an ice shell that I have to get off because if I don't and it blows off it will shatter a windshield of anyone behind me. It's dangerous.
The ice is holding me up as I jackhammer this stuff off the roof of my CR-V...until it didn't. Naturally it gives out on my bad leg side so down I go onto my bad knee and shoulder. My head hits and my hat takes off. It takes a second to realize that was a cushioned fall and I'm fine. My knee bent the natural way so I didn't hurt it (and at this point I can't damage the cartilage more. It's gone) My next thought is, well glad no one saw that. I crawl to my back car door because I will need a handhold to get that bad leg under me on the ice. Had to look like a walrus trying to get up on the rocks to wave to the crowd.
My pants are covered with ice. Ditto my wool pea coat. I get my hat and at least my glasses didn't break. I finish cleaning the car. The ice breaks again but under my left leg so I could catch myself. It takes an hour to do this. Roscoe the three legged mini chichuahua races out to yap at me. I talk to his mom who is furious that the cleaner only cleaned in front of HER apartment and not the other three buildings. She gives me the rest of the salt so I deal with that
My knee is sore. My shin has a goose egg because the blood thinners made a big-ass hematoma but otherwise, I have bruises on my ribs/arm/shoulder but nothing bad. BUT my county and the county the school is in are both still at level 2 snow emergency so no school tomorrow either. I.e. we ran out of salt to fix the roads so we're fucked.
That's the ice sandwich I was walking on and knocking off my car. I otherwise did nothing else I said I was doing today but did get distracted by3sentenceficathon somebody come slap me.
For Fannish 50 I had a few things I wanted to talk about but now I'm forced to deal with fans needing a good grip on reality. Between Hazbin Hotel, Helluva Boss, the Mighty Nein and the Amazing Digital Circus, it has to be said, YOUR head canon is just that. Yours. You don't get to threaten the creators when actual canon doesn't match it. You can disappointed sure. You can even quit the fandom. But nothing gives you the right to threaten the creators, the voice actors and other fans. I keep having to write this same blog post time and again (not that the ill behaved members are going to see it).
One of the big name Huskerdust fans quit in a huff (no threats, just they're done). I was wondering who'd be the next BNF (not me, my stories don't seem to hit well in this fandom for the most part but I have a small loyal following that I appreciate) but they're basically 'if you're following me for the fandom might as well unfriend me now. I refuse to have anything to do with this because...basically it didn't match their head canon and they'll be deleting stuff.
Have you ever done this? I mean I'm sure we've all quit a fandom for various reasons. I hated what Marti Noxon did to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and I didn't see half of S6 of Buffy and most of S7 (I only watched a tiny part of it knowing it was the end and I hated what I saw) Ditto the last season of Angel and part of S3 of Angel. I've faded away in other fandoms. What I haven't done is get so mad that fandom didn't match my head canon that I deleted my profiles, erased my stories etc.
I'm not saying that it's wrong. That's something personal to you (not like the death threats and other threats of violence I'm seeing) But I'm curious if you have gotten that mad, why did you feel compelled to delete it all? (Then again I've known some people who have deleted everything just because).
The ice is holding me up as I jackhammer this stuff off the roof of my CR-V...until it didn't. Naturally it gives out on my bad leg side so down I go onto my bad knee and shoulder. My head hits and my hat takes off. It takes a second to realize that was a cushioned fall and I'm fine. My knee bent the natural way so I didn't hurt it (and at this point I can't damage the cartilage more. It's gone) My next thought is, well glad no one saw that. I crawl to my back car door because I will need a handhold to get that bad leg under me on the ice. Had to look like a walrus trying to get up on the rocks to wave to the crowd.
My pants are covered with ice. Ditto my wool pea coat. I get my hat and at least my glasses didn't break. I finish cleaning the car. The ice breaks again but under my left leg so I could catch myself. It takes an hour to do this. Roscoe the three legged mini chichuahua races out to yap at me. I talk to his mom who is furious that the cleaner only cleaned in front of HER apartment and not the other three buildings. She gives me the rest of the salt so I deal with that
My knee is sore. My shin has a goose egg because the blood thinners made a big-ass hematoma but otherwise, I have bruises on my ribs/arm/shoulder but nothing bad. BUT my county and the county the school is in are both still at level 2 snow emergency so no school tomorrow either. I.e. we ran out of salt to fix the roads so we're fucked.
That's the ice sandwich I was walking on and knocking off my car. I otherwise did nothing else I said I was doing today but did get distracted by
3sentenceficathon somebody come slap me.For Fannish 50 I had a few things I wanted to talk about but now I'm forced to deal with fans needing a good grip on reality. Between Hazbin Hotel, Helluva Boss, the Mighty Nein and the Amazing Digital Circus, it has to be said, YOUR head canon is just that. Yours. You don't get to threaten the creators when actual canon doesn't match it. You can disappointed sure. You can even quit the fandom. But nothing gives you the right to threaten the creators, the voice actors and other fans. I keep having to write this same blog post time and again (not that the ill behaved members are going to see it).
One of the big name Huskerdust fans quit in a huff (no threats, just they're done). I was wondering who'd be the next BNF (not me, my stories don't seem to hit well in this fandom for the most part but I have a small loyal following that I appreciate) but they're basically 'if you're following me for the fandom might as well unfriend me now. I refuse to have anything to do with this because...basically it didn't match their head canon and they'll be deleting stuff.
Have you ever done this? I mean I'm sure we've all quit a fandom for various reasons. I hated what Marti Noxon did to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and I didn't see half of S6 of Buffy and most of S7 (I only watched a tiny part of it knowing it was the end and I hated what I saw) Ditto the last season of Angel and part of S3 of Angel. I've faded away in other fandoms. What I haven't done is get so mad that fandom didn't match my head canon that I deleted my profiles, erased my stories etc.
I'm not saying that it's wrong. That's something personal to you (not like the death threats and other threats of violence I'm seeing) But I'm curious if you have gotten that mad, why did you feel compelled to delete it all? (Then again I've known some people who have deleted everything just because).
Climate Change
Jan. 27th, 2026 05:27 pmysabetwordsmithWhat happens to forests when the planet warms up too fast
New sediment records from the Norwegian Sea offer a rare, close-up look at how quickly nature can unravel when the planet warms. During a past episode of extreme global warming, coastal forests along the Arctic margin collapsed within just a few centuries.
What followed was a cascade of change – widespread wildfires, heavy soil erosion, and a rush of carbon back into the atmosphere. The study shows how land ecosystems can rapidly flip from storing carbon to releasing it, amplifying warming long after the initial trigger.
( Read more... )
New sediment records from the Norwegian Sea offer a rare, close-up look at how quickly nature can unravel when the planet warms. During a past episode of extreme global warming, coastal forests along the Arctic margin collapsed within just a few centuries.
What followed was a cascade of change – widespread wildfires, heavy soil erosion, and a rush of carbon back into the atmosphere. The study shows how land ecosystems can rapidly flip from storing carbon to releasing it, amplifying warming long after the initial trigger.
( Read more... )
As the Earth Dreams, ed. Terese Mason Pierre (2025) [part 3]
Jan. 27th, 2026 10:32 pmpauraqueThis is the third and final part of my book club notes on As the Earth Dreams. [Part one, part two.]
"deh ah market" by Whitney French
( A pair of cousins bend time and space to connect with worlds and relatives past. )
"Paroxysm" by Zalika Reid-Benta
( A woman isolating from a new virus starts hallucinating. )
"Just Say Garuka" by Aline-Mwezi Niyonsenga
( Two teenagers test a friendship over magic carpet flying practice. )
the end
I think the group did not end up being super jazzed about this book on the whole, and I felt similarly. There were a few stories I liked, but some felt like maybe they needed another pass for cohesion, and the collection leaned thematically grim in a way that I had a hard time connecting with. Oh well, they can't all be winners.
The group plans to continue with The Black Fantastic: 20 Afrofuturist Stories.
"deh ah market" by Whitney French
( A pair of cousins bend time and space to connect with worlds and relatives past. )
"Paroxysm" by Zalika Reid-Benta
( A woman isolating from a new virus starts hallucinating. )
"Just Say Garuka" by Aline-Mwezi Niyonsenga
( Two teenagers test a friendship over magic carpet flying practice. )
the end
I think the group did not end up being super jazzed about this book on the whole, and I felt similarly. There were a few stories I liked, but some felt like maybe they needed another pass for cohesion, and the collection leaned thematically grim in a way that I had a hard time connecting with. Oh well, they can't all be winners.
The group plans to continue with The Black Fantastic: 20 Afrofuturist Stories.
